Vegetable Minestrone Variations (Printable)

A comforting Italian soup with seasonal vegetables, pasta, and beans, perfect for adapting throughout the year.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 small zucchini, diced (summer) or 1 small butternut squash, diced (winter)
06 - 1 cup green beans, chopped (or 1 cup chopped kale or spinach in winter)
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
09 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)

→ Broth and Beans

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 3.5 ounces small pasta (ditalini, elbow, or shells)
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Herbs and Seasonings

14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, zucchini or squash, and green beans or kale. Cook for 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, potato if using, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the vegetable broth.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
05 - Add beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and stir in chopped parsley.
07 - Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep without feeling like a chore.
  • You can build it around whatever produce is on sale or what's lingering in your crisper drawer, so it's endlessly adaptable.
  • It comes together in under an hour and fills your kitchen with the kind of warmth that makes you want to stay home.
02 -
  • The pasta will continue absorbing liquid after you finish cooking, so if you're serving this later or the next day, you might need to add a splash more broth before reheating.
  • Don't be tempted to skip the fresh parsley at the end, because it genuinely transforms the soup from warming to vibrant, and that moment of bright flavor is worth the extra step.
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and the soup has a cohesive texture throughout.
  • If your broth tastes thin or one-note, a Parmesan rind simmering in it for the last ten minutes will add depth that seems almost magical.
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